The WNBA’s All-Star Weekend (ASW) drove a variety of online conversation, from ongoing CBA negotiations to the proliferation of StudBudz, the player-powered shared social media profile that offered an entertaining inside look into ASW.

Yesterday, Portland’s WNBA expansion team finally launched its long-awaited brand reveal, showcasing its name and logo as the Portland Fire. While there are some local criticisms about the name, Portland made this decision with significant intentionality, which may have influenced the overall positive response to the name.

This year will mark the fourth edition of WNBA Live at WNBA All-Star Weekend, where 25 event sponsors will offer IRL activations for fans. The efficacy of experiential advertising pairs well with the impressive purchase consideration from women’s sports fans, who boast higher awareness and devotion to sponsors in women’s sports.

The WNBA tipped off Monday with major news: The league is awarding three new expansion franchises to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Each of the winning bids agreed to pay a record $250M expansion fee — higher than the valuations of half the W — with additional investments committed to team and facility development.

Yesterday, Sportico published its estimated WNBA valuations, illustrating YoY valuation gains for teams across the board. One significant surprise? The financial power of the Golden State Valkyries, which tipped off its inaugural season last month and already leads the league in valuation, just ahead of the NY Liberty and Indiana Fever.

On Friday, Scripps-owned network Ion Television renewed its media rights agreement with the WNBA nearly a year after the league inked a joint multinetwork package alongside the NBA. Despite the WNBA’s attainment of expensive, major network deals, there’s still considerable value in what Ion uniquely brings to the table: A distinct audience and capacity for appointment viewing.

You already know that women’s basketball is booming — according to a recent report from Global Sports Properties, the WNBA saw a 322% increase in global online searches last year. However, the sport’s impact extends beyond the pro court: The male-dominated spaces long associated with hoops are becoming more women-forward…and it’s about time.

According to Forbes, WNBA teams are valued at a league-high average of $272M, a monstrous 183% increase from the estimated average valuation in 2024. It’s all about supply and demand (and a little dash of optimism).

Yesterday, social media giant Pinterest announced its entry into the sports space with a groundbreaking, multiyear NY Liberty partnership. Driven by the rising popularity and influence of WNBA athletes, Pinterest has reimagined what sports sponsorship can look like with its multifaceted brand integration.

This week, WNBA fans are learning about the downsides of the Caitlin Clark Effect as the Indiana Fever superstar is sitting out for at least two weeks with a quadriceps strain. It’s the first time Clark has missed any time during her collegiate or pro career, leaving fans and venues in the lurch.

This weekend, the WNBA season tipped off on several networks, and the results are in: Interest in the league is widespread across teams and platforms, illustrating how everyone should harness the WNBA’s popularity however they can.

The 29th WNBA season tipped off last Friday with a record 45 official sponsors, including 10 brands that signed on during the past year, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ). Let’s dive into why these old and new brands are recognizing the potential for brand amplification in the W.